I got up early this morning to catch the first bus headed to my hometown and the jail where my dad was being held. It's been a few weeks and I miss him so much. I didn't bother telling anyone I planned to visit him until after I leave since my last foster families never let me visit him in jail outside of the mandatory visits.
As I was slipping out the front door Alex and Dylan came jogging up the driveway.
"Where are you off to this early?" Alex asked while smiling at me.
"Oh, I'm just headed out to explore."
"Ok, well if you wait for me to shower I can drive you to the mall or something and we can show you 'round." Alex said
"No, it's fine, really."I said a bit to quickly
Dylan narrowed his eyes at me "where are you really going?"
"I-"
"No lies," Alex said
"I'm going to see my dad" I muttered
"Oh," he looked awkward "wait isn't he like a 2-hour drive away from here?"
"Yeah, there's a bus headed that way, it leaves in a few minutes so I have to go."
"Nope, I'll take you, the bus will take you at least 3 hours and that's if you're lucky." Dylan said while grabbing my arm lightly.
"No really, it's fine."
"No, it's not fine. we don't mind and don't worry we'll entertain ourselves while you guys talk, I don't have any plans today anyway. just give us 5 to shower." he jogged inside
"No really it's fine. I don't need you to drive me."
"Not taking no for an answer" Alex called over his shoulder
They made Daniel -who was already inside and showered after their run- babysit me to make sure I didn't try and take the bus. This was so embarrassing I didn't want any of them to see the shitty town I grew up in let alone be around the jail.
---
"Hey daddy," I said softly into the phone
"Hi baby, how are you? Your foster family is still treating you right, right?" he asked. He called me once before I came here today so I had already told him a little bit about the people I had met.
"I'm fine dad, and yeah, they're pretty great actually. Annoying but in a good way I guess. the twins and their friend Daniel drove me here today."
"Good, how's school goin'?"
"School is school, all my teachers seem pretty nice and the kids have your typical cliche clicks they fall into. My classes aren't hard and most of them I have with one twin or the other or even both for P.E... The guys made me sit with them at the football table at lunch. They even yelled at one of the cheerleaders and told her not to mess with me when she tried to make me feel uncomfortable sitting here.
"The whole football team and the cheerleaders sit around in a close cluster of tables but Alex, Dylan, Oliver, Daniel, and their friends Eric, David, Ella, and Sadie were all sitting around one table with me thrown into the middle of it. Claire the head cheerleader cornering me in the hall and threatening me to stay away from the boys because they were "her's and her friend's" That bitch really has a few screws loose."
My dad chuckled, "Langueage little miss. Now tell me more about these people what are Alex, Dylan, Oliver, and the others like?"
We chatted about my new family and school and the interesting people he had met but when we ran out of things to talk about he said
"Listen, baby, I'm sorry, I really thought it was going to be easy and-"
I cut him off because I didn't want to hear his speech again. "No apologies dad. You really screwed up this time. I'm going to have 8 months after I turn 18 and lose my foster family to survive before you get out and 4 of those months I'm supposed to be in school."
"I know, I-"
"Promise me this is it. You'll get a straight job and stop obsessing over Mom's killer. Please, promise me. I love you but I can't spend the rest of my life bailing you out of jail and waiting for you to come home. I already lost one parent but it's like I lost both." I pleaded with him.
He nodded sadly at my last statement but the rest of our conversation was weighted by the fact that he didn't promise. When my time was up I left and decided to walk down the road to a diner that mom and dad used to take me to. I needed a few minutes to collect myself before I let the boys know I was done.
Unfortunately for me, my ex had other plans.
"Baby, what are you doing back in town?"
"I came to visit my dad but I have to get back now, my foster family is waiting," I said and started to walk faster but he stopped me.
"Well then they will just have to wait a little longer then won't they?" he smirked, gripping my upper arm in a bruising hold.
I gulped, shut my eyes, and nodded slowly.
"Good" his smirk grew and he gripped my arm harshly while leading me to his car.
He drove me to a hotel and I tried convincing him again that I needed to leave but he wasn't listening. He got a room and led me upstairs.
Call me pathetic all you want but I'm much more afraid of what he might do to me if I try and leave than I am of what he has planned. I've seen him at his worst and I'd like to live to see tomorrow, thank you very much.
---
When he was spent, he laid next to me with his head squishing my tits. He grabbed my hand and put it on his head.
I started playing with his hair like he liked and waited for him to fall asleep. Once I was sure he was asleep I slowly moved out from under him. I grabbed my phone and saw all the texts and missed calls from the boys.
I texted Dylan
Can you pick me up? I'm at 4237 N Broadman st.
I'll meet you in the hotel parking lot.
The fuck are you doing at a hotel?
I quickly got dressed and as I was reaching for the door handle a hand grabbed my arm and yanked me back into a hard chest. I squeezed my eyes shut and flinched as I felt his hot breath on my ear.
"Where do you think you're going?" he hissed in my ear "I'm not done with you just yet."
"I, I have to go, I told you m-my foster family is waiting for me. If I make them mad, they might send me to a new family, farther away or who won't let me come back," I said in hopes he would let me go.
"That's fine because you're not leaving" he growled
"I need to leave, please just-"
"No" he squeezed my arm, I winced and I pulled my arm away from him, stumbling to the side. That's when he swung, his fist making contact with the side of my face, right next to my right eye.
My face was throbbing and I clutched the side he had hit. I tried not to make a sound or let the tears fall, knowing full well it would only piss him off more.
My phone pinged and I saw the message on my phone saying that the boys were here.
"How dare you tell them where you are!" he screamed in my face.
"p-please," I cried.
"Go then" he yelled and kicked out into my gut, knocking me flat on my back. He made to do it again but I scrambled to my feet and flew down the hall, not bothering with the elevator in case he followed me.
When I reached the parking lot I saw Dylan's truck and hurried over to it. Getting in the back seat with Daniel and keeping my hair over my face.
"Have you been here this whole time? Why are you at a hotel?" Dylan asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to," Alex sang, replying for me and I could hear the smirk on his face.
"Fine, but why? Kate we were worried." Dylan murmured and I hung my head even more. When I didn't reply he said "Kate talk to us or I'll-"
"You'll what?" I snapped and as I lifted my head and the hair fell from my face "you'll hit me too?" I asked sadly
I regretted it before the words even left my mouth. I knew he wouldn't hit me, I knew none of them would. I was just angry that I let it happen again and angry at my dad for never noticing when I was too drugged to know up from down but most of all I'm angry at myself for becoming all too used to the threat of being beaten whenever I didn't do as I was told.
"What? Of course not! Wait, too?" he pulled over as soon as he saw my swollen, bruised face.
"Katey, what happened?" Alex said, turning to look at me.
"I don't want to talk about it" I mumbled before saying in a stronger voice, "and if anyone asks, my clumsy ass fell getting out of the truck got it?" I said
"No, who hit you?" Dylan asked, looking angry.
"No one, I fell, forget I said anything," I said and leaned against the window
"Who. Hit. You," Alex said angrily.
I glanced at Daniel, why? I don't know, maybe I hoped his silence meant he would be on my side and make them drop it but when I looked at him I saw that he was just as angry and ready to pick a fight as the twins were, even more so if it were possible.
Sighing I whispered "my boyfriend"
"Boyfriend?" Daniel growled.
"Yeah, we dated for a little over 6 months, I thought the move would be enough to get away from him but..." I trailed off since it was obvious that it wasn't. "can we, can we just go back now? Please" I whispered
"No," Alex and Daniel said immediately but Dylan sighed and pulled back onto the road. Alex and Daniel looked at him, confused.
"What? She doesn't want us to do anything, I'm not going to force her to tell us who the bastard is if she doesn't want to and besides mom would murder us all if we are late to dinner and we are already pushing it. But if I ever find out who hit you..." he trailed off seriously.
I gave him a weak but no less appreciative smile before closing my eyes.
When we got home Marry was so angry, not only for us being late for dinner but also because the boys let me hurt myself. She bought the story of me falling out of the truck without even questioning me and for that, I was very grateful.